Friendship Hand Pendant-pins in Polymer Clay

Polymer Clay Friendship Hand pendant pin combos with a ceramic-like finish and look. To achieve it I didn't use liquid polymer clay like on other pendants. I find that some liquid clays can mimic ceramics quite well and I've done that, but if the texture is not deeply etched, the liquid clay sort of pools here and there. If you have been following my blog you can probably tell that this colour, an amazonite/teal is my favorite. Black and silver and dark are other colours of choice, but I feel this colour goes year-round and compliments so many colours of clothing.
You may have guessed it, I've been working on turning this into a tutorial, including the imitative ceramic 'circle dot' beads. Should be finished by tomorrow.
The stencil is a little PhotoEz silk screen which I put on Etsy along with some others. The pins will be going up too, just in case anyone wants a finished one, ready to go (smile).

Kreative and Lemonade Blogger Awards

I'm very flattered to have picked up a couple of Blogger Awards and am finally able to catch up. Thank you to Marre Accessories for rewarding me in such a way. Marre has a few blogs, including one in Estonian! Like myself, Marre creates multi-media jewelry using polymer clay, wire, beads, fiber...Thanks Marre!

The rule is that the ones receiving this reward will write on what inspires them. Hard to say what inspires me as it could be that particular 'moment'! Sometimes it is music I listen to, other times a single word pops into mind, or a colour.

1. Colours. I tend to be dark when it comes to colour. On occasion I will create the odd 'pastel' item, but it is a rare. I'm very drawn to Hematite, a balancing stone. For metal I am drawn to Copper, the metal of Venus and any stone set in copper or used with copper with have an enhanced energy field. Copper even enhances the energy of silver and gold. As for actual colours, I am drawn to Purple, Blue, Green and Amber. The shades vary from lighter to dark, but the mixes will compliment each other. I try not too choose too many shades or colours as to overwhelm a piece and it has to feel 'right', both intuitively and visually.

2. New techniques. I'm forever looking for new methods to adapt and combine with my work. Most of the time I have a hard time just using one particular material or method and will use at least 2 or three techniques to combine and alter into something new. I don't like repetition, although it is a necessity when selling work. I create balance by doing something 'new' in between just to relax and feed the creative energy. Repetition creates stagnation and blocks, so unwinding with learning something new is important to me.

3. Other's work. All the visual eye candy of others' creations. It helps me to get out of the usual mindset and see possibilities and realize the endlessness of them. While I feel that learning a new technique involves copying, imitation or following instructions is not for me. I like to try something new at least once, something that is not the norm for me, such as creating a doll or a hand bound journal, but usually fall back onto what feels the most comfortable which is jewelry. Although I start with a visual project in mind, it doesn't always end up being so. I compare this to going a driftwood and pebbled beach that looks arranged in a particular way, then huge waves come in and change the whole lot! or Forest Gump's box of chocolates....never know what you're gonna get! lol

Easier said than done because I have two awards to pass on. I would like to pass this award on to: Well...the first one is very easy because she's always kreativ...

1. Gera Scott Chandler

2. Naama Zamir

3. Sandy of Simple Inpirations

4. Carolyn and Dave Good

Am glad to be able to hand Gera Scott Chandler an award as it is she who gave me the Lemonade Cart Award. Had to laugh when I got this one...lol

Bloggers conferred with this award have shown a positive attitude and gratitude. I'm very grateful, thanks Gera! Although I'm about a month late showing it!...better late than never...?

1. Put the logo on your blog or post
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great Gratitude and/or Attitude.
3. Be sure to list and link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Nominate your favorites and link to your post.

Ok....easier said than done because I have just handed out 4 awards above....

1. Joan Tayler
2. Violette Laporte
3. Jem Redlich
4. Cheryl Trottier
5. Janis
6. LoopyBoopy

sorry if this falls short....

Coming Soon....Polymer Clay bracelet sizer tutorial

I did a workshop with these at the recent Horizons Polymer Clay Retreat in Vancouver. It was a fast 'Bam Bam' workshop quite late in the day, so hopefully my students walked away with some interesting info! I think these will be Bam Bam's because they are quick to make too!


First I showed the PhotoEZ stencil process, how to develop and screen them on polymer clay. Then I explained how to make the bracelet size 'specific'. I heard some oooh's and aaah's when that was revealed with my little 'Bam Bam Gizmo', lol. Perhaps you too have struggled with sizing, that when your wrist measures 7" and you use large beads, that your bracelet actually has to be much larger than the 7", or it won't fit....or you made some and they ended up being to small. I invented a sizer that is multi functional unlike the cone shaped sizer on the market. I've been using it ever since, even for beadwork. I'll be writing instructions sometime this coming next week. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime....would you be interested in a tutorial with sizer/kit?...?

Polymer Clay Baking...Do you bake indoors or out?

It has been very interesting lately to watch a lot of people redo or remodel their polymer clay studios.
What I have noticed is that a lot of polymer clay artists have their ovens right in the studio where they work and am wondering if they have ever given it much thought.

Some clayers may enjoy that smell when baking those projects, and I can't believe those that say they think it smells 'good', ugh!....but if you smell it, my friend, you are ingesting it. Some clayers may say "oh shut up already, I know all about it!"

For years now I've been keeping my oven where it belongs....outside. My polymer chemist husband is the one that made me do it, lol. He said: "It may be alright to open a window while you are baking, but that's no different than smoking a cigarette indoors and trying to blow the smoke outside." Yeah, true (except I quit smoking, lol). By now we all have heard that second hand smoke is bad, right? So, just wondering...is inhaling polymer clay fumes on a daily, or even weekly basis, any better...? Did you know that 3rd hand smoke is just as toxic as 2nd hand smoke? Smoke that is on clothing, drapes, furniture.....dumda dum, you touch it, you ingest it. Yep, those polymer clay fumes are covering all your furniture and drapes etc. if you bake indoors....I didn't even think about that, did you? I guess we could say ALL our indoor stuff is now polymer clay 'dedicated'!

So... a question....do you bake indoors or outdoors and why or why not?

Bangles Explosion!

...and a few other Polymer Clay bracelets made with recycled PVC as the base and handmade glass tiles and a stretchy cuff with green blue mica shift.



Realized I hadn't posted in a few days, as I'm busy preparing a whole bunch of things, but my polymer clay just can't wait any longer! Horizons 2009, the Vancouver Polymer Clay Retreat is coming up fast and I'll be doing a workshop with these bangle bracelets. Was going to call them Bang Bangles, as they bang together when one wears two or there, lol, but sounds kind of silly doesn't it...I dunno....mmm.

Polymer Clay Bracelets and Heart Pendants

More Polymer Clay cuff bracelets, heart pendants and matching earrings. I almost didn't get them done because I use my oven outside the house. Promptly, after pulling them out of the oven did I drop them on the boardwalk and they fell in between the crevasses of the boards. After some coat hanger fishing, I got them all back, phew! Now they are assembled and here are some of them...how do you like the color?

Polymer clay stenciled bracelet

Working on more polymer clay hearts for Valentines Day, but also on some bracelet designs. This large cuff is so comfortable. I made a mokume gane design for one side and the other has a stenciled design. It is reversible and slightly oval as no wrist is round. I blended some pearlescent with green and turquoise polymer clay and once again used photoEZ as part of the design. What do you think? Would you wear something like this?
Also made some more hearts and put them in etsy (see my sidebar).

Workshops, lessons and PhotoEZ

Am working on putting together some kits for my upcoming workshop at Horizons 2009 next month. Besides providing materials such as beads, templates, artwork and a little surprise 'gizmo' that I created, am getting quite excited about teaching because I just got word from EZScreenPrint that they will help sponsor me with some much needed supplies!

Students will have to wait and see, but I am thankful to EZScreenPrint for their generosity! And if "you" want to benefit from their generosity, check out their website because they have some awesome sales happening right NOW!

For those that aren't familiar with the material, it is an ideal screen printing material. It can be used on many types of materials, such as ceramics, fabric, paper, and polymer clay. I know when most of us think about screen printing, we imagine these hard to use, messy and expensive tools, but not so with PhotoEZ. That is where the EZ part comes in....ease or easy!

Check out the videos that Christopher Avalos posted on YouTube. The first tutorial shows you how to create an image on your computer, the second one how to create the screen, and the third, how to print with the screen. I can tell you that it only takes me about 40 minutes from printing artwork to having a finished screen ready for my polymer clay.
Here is my own tutorial (free) on how to achieve templates for screens....made on your computer from 'dingbat fonts'.

I must explore this material for scrapbooking next.

One World One Heart Give Away...

I am getting involved in the one world one heart give away. If you are an active blogger and leave a comment on this post with your email address I will choose a winner on February 12th Pacific Coast time....that is I will draw on midnight February 11th....;)

Artists from all over the world are participating. If you click on the image above you can see the list of bloggers that are giving away a piece of art to participate.

~*ONLY ACTIVE BLOGGERS ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE TO WIN MY OFFERINGS*~
You need to be a blogger yourself, in order to qualify.
Please just leave 1 comment to qualify on ~*THIS POST ONLY*~
(You can comment on other posts all you wish!)

If you also would like to participate just click the photo and find out all about it!

This is what I will be giving away...The Love Bug Heart Pendant.....

Anyone else fascinated with Mars?

I'm throwing in a post that has absolutely nothing to do with polymer clay, but not every day involves working on our favourite medium. I for one am fascinated with Mars, no matter how boring some of those pictures are.
Here are some interesting pictures! Those cameras from those little landers are still sending pictures back to Earth which in itself is amazing, considering no one counted on those rovers surviving this long.
Now...what would create those strange 'small craters...? And the long line, kind of looks like evidence of a riverbed...

The white patches on the top right corner...is that evidence of ice? Dry ice? And some kind of erosion below?

More of the dots, but these aren't craters, but raised and in kind of random pattern. What could produce such a thing?!

And now the weirdest thing of all. First we get the "Face of Mars". And now we find GIANT foot prints? This looks like a foot print doesn't it?!!

These pictures were taken from an altitude of....about a meter. well, ha ha ha....it was our local beach. lol. sorry, couldn't wait till April 1st.

Polymer Clay and name that heart!

If the heart is the symbol for love, I have a funny way of translating it. I love to find the humour in things, so I'm giving these polymer clay pendants some funny names. How about a pierced heart, chained to love, love knot, love bug and the dirty heart. Well, the dirty heart probably wasn't what you expected, lol. I had stamped and colored some clay, decided I wasn't happy with it, but when I mushed up the polymer clay mess...decided I like it after all. Now, I need a 'key to your heart'. Yes, I have to fill that empty spot beside the puffy heart.

Heart concept or hard concept

Whichever way one calls it, my friend Vanessa and I brainstormed about what kind of Polymer clay heart pendants I should create and had some funny ideas. Well, you saw my "Eye love you" hearts and am presently staring at my colors of polymer clay blocks right now, then at my sketches for ideas. Wordplay definitely is fun and hopefully those ideas will translate into something real tomorrow....gotta get going so I'll have some photos to show for, right?
Mmmm...I did make a few hearts today, but not pleased how they turned out...they looks so...well, dirty. I don't know if you wanna see my 'dirty hearts'...or do you?

Eye love U! polymer clay hearts...

Eye love you! or something like that.
I made these polymer clay hearts by adding some 'eyes' to them. Had these doll eyes kicking around from my "green man" days back in the early 90's when I put eyes in polymer clay jewelry such as brooches and barrettes. Kinda creepy, eh!



I had given them funky names like:"I'm keeping my eye on you" and "I've got eyes in the back of my head". I had called them 'green man series' because it started with a large polymer clay clock with eyes (c.1991), a partial face peeking out from a whole bunch of leaves.

Time flies!

Can't believe it's almost mid month of a new year!
Had my polymer clay and supplies stashed away over the holidays and only a few unfinished bits and pieces on my desk.
Here I thought I had plenty of time to rest up...well, what I call rest is working on 'designs' for another season, haha, but with the economy slow-down felt that there was no rush on actually 'producing' anything. Well, seems I was wrong! Better get my polymer clay back out! Due to belt-tightening and constraint on spending, Arts and Crafts, especially locally, are becoming more desirable than ever than that Drugstore perfume or panini grill.

Time flies and Valentines Day will be soon upon us! ....gotta make more hearts!!

Leaf Toggle Clasp Pendants for Polymer Clay Jewelry

An updated version of my tutorial for 'polymer clay toggle clasp pendants' is now available.



Perhaps you too have become a little bored with using the same commercial clasps over and over in jewelry design. Toggle clasps are very popular and seem to grace almost every bracelet and necklace today. While Gold, silver and copper are great materials, sometimes the shiny metal distracts from the design or calls for a clasp that isn't too obvious at first glance. There are of course other not so obvious styles such as polymer clay covered barrel clasps, but this style of clasp serves double-duty as both clasp and pendant. My solution was to make a toggle from polymer clay, large enough to be both durable and functional as both clasp and pendant.



About my toggle clasp, it was first published in PolymerCAFE (April 2008). This newer version has now been reworked to include more detailed instruction, that I feel even a beginner would be able to achieve.
The tutorial, like in the magazine, includes a colored crackle technique, actually two methods because one that is achieved with inks, the other without. This newer version includes a whopping 37 photographs, 27 steps and 13 pages in an easy e copy .pdf file download. The tutorial guides you to create a leaf with branch toggle, but you can easily adapt or use any shape you desire, round, triangle, rectangle, flower or other shapes that inspire you.

Available through  my Artfire and Etsy shops.

Polymer Clay Bead Cap Tutorial

Have you ever wondered what your beads or gemstones would look like with your own handmade bead caps?
This tutorial shows you how to produce versatile, attractive and durable bead caps from polymer clay. These days, polymer clay's versatility allows it to simulate virtually any or most material. Polymer clay can simulate stone, wood, bone and even metal, as these bead caps will demonstrate. Decorative buttons are used as the basis of the texture of the bead caps. The finished bead caps fit 15mm beads, but other sizes can easily be made by choosing smaller (or larger) buttons for the mold.

For a mere $2.50 you get 5 Pages of 8 easy to follow steps and 13 photographs. Use the "Buy now" button below which will take you to a secure checkout via Paypal and your tutorial will come to you immediately via Payloadz.

Polymer Clay Vessel and Holder stands

Am glad that my CD polymer clay tutorial, on using old CD's and making leg stands, inspired at least a couple of people in different ways.

Vanessa made this nifty lidded vessel with very nice Mokume Gane. Love the colour combo for this mokume gane!



The curly legs and top give this box a very nice appearance and can't help when I say it has a "Dr Seuss" feel to it. It must be the curl on top!



Moyra aka "Radically Riley" made this candle holder with transfer mini tarot cards along the CD, then added curly legs, sideways.